The Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, has rounded on those calling for a boycott of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and claimed holding the tournament there will bring peace to the region.

This week the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, called on its allies to consider boycotting the tournament if Russia did not pull its troops out of Ukrainian territory.

But the 79-year-old said “a boycott of any sporting event has never brought any solutions”, called for an end to “political interference” from the European parliament and insisted the World Cup would definitely take place in Russia in three years’ time.

“In my opinion the World Cup in Russia will be able to stabilise all the situation in this region of Europe that is suffering now,” he said. “I am sure that football is stronger than any other movement.”

Blatter, who met the Emir of Qatar last weekend, also claimed at Fifa’s executive committee meeting that progress was being made on the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf state that will host the 2022 tournament, just one of many issues that have bedevilled preparations for the first World Cup in the Middle East.

Despite the Qatari minister for labour last week admitting no firm timetable was in place for introducing reforms to the much-criticised kafala system promised last year, Blatter said the Emir had given him reassuring and positive news.

Human rights groups have lobbied for improvements to the treatment of the army of migrant construction workers building the infrastructure that will underpin the World Cup although the Fifa secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, tried to limit Fifa’s exposure to those working on the stadiums.

“In the five stadiums under construction, the standard for the workers is higher than any other construction site in Qatar,” Valcke said.

The Qatar 2022 chief executive, Hassan al-Thawadi, insisted progress was being made on the issue. “There are some good examples of stakeholders taking on board our experience and it becoming part of the wider system,” he said. “I can’t talk about the timelines. In the end progress has to be made. It’s as simple as that. Progress is being made on the ground.”

He promised the 1m fans expected by organisers to descend on the tiny Gulf state in November 2022 would be well catered for despite questions over Qatari laws banning homosexuality and restricting alcohol consumption.

“We’re welcoming everybody,” said Thawadi. “We’re welcoming everybody to come and celebrate with us the first World Cup in the Middle East. We have the capacity to host everybody but our goal is for the world to experience the richness of the Middle Eastern culture.”

Blatter, standing for another four-year term in May despite having previously promised to step down, unveiled a deal with the European Club Association worth $209m (£140m) for each of the next two World Cups in 2018 and 2022.

The money, more than five times the total for the 2010 World Cup and triple the amount paid following Brazil 2014, will inevitably be seen as an attempt to quell criticism over the decision to shift the tournament to winter.

Valcke insisted the money should not be viewed as compensation and the ECA said it would also allow it to have a say in negotiations over the international calendar for the first time.

Unveiling record financial results for 2014, Fifa revealed its reserves had swelled to more than $1.5bn. It has always argued it requires so much cash in the bank in case the World Cup is cancelled.

It paid $39.7m to “key management personnel” in 2014 but, as has become traditional, refused to reveal how much went to Blatter.

The Fifa president reacted angrily when asked why he had not yet published a manifesto or set out his plans beyond the end of his current term. “My manifesto is the work I have done in the last years in Fifa,” he said. “I am 40 years Fifa and I am 17 years president. This is my manifesto.”